Floribunda rose plant named &#39;Wekgojolo&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new variety of Floribunda rose suitable for garden decoration, having flowers of neon yellow coloration.

CLASSIFICATION

The present invention relates to a new Rosa hybrida plant.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

The new plant has the varietal denomination ‘WEKgojolo’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Floribunda Rose.It has as its seed parent the variety known as ‘KORfalt’ (not patented)and has an undisseminated seedling as its pollen parent with thefollowing genetic origin ‘WEKgibotex’×‘SCRivluv’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Among the features which distinguish the new variety from otherpresently available and commercial rose cultivars known to the inventorare the following combinations of characteristics: its unique andintense neon yellow flower coloration that last throughout the life ofthe flower, its pale yellow-green new foliage and its many stamens. Theplant has a bushy upright growing habit, suitable for outdoor gardendecoration.

Asexual reproduction of the new variety by budding as performed in KernCounty and Pomona, Calif., shows that the foregoing and otherdistinguishing characteristics come true to form and are established andtransmitted through succeeding asexual propagations. ‘WEKgojolo’ may beasexually propagated by cuttings, budding and grafting. The budding andgrafting successfully occurred on the plant/rootstock Rosa hybrida cv.‘Dr. Huey’ (not patented).

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

The new rose may be distinguished from its seed parent, ‘KORfalt’ by thefollowing combination of characteristics: whereas ‘WEKgojolo’ bearsdouble flowers (about 18 to 26 petals) of neon yellow coloration,‘KORfalt’ bears double flowers of deep gold yellow coloration withsignificantly heavier petalage (about 25 to 30 petals). The new varietyhas a bushy upright medium height growing habit (about 90 to about 110cm. in height); whereas the seed parent has a bushy roundedsignificantly shorter growing habit (about 50 to about 70 cm. inheight).

The new variety may be distinguished from its pollen parent, anundisseminated seedling by the following combination of characteristics:whereas ‘WEKgojolo’ bears double (about 18 to 26 petals) medium sizedflowers (about 5.7 to about 9.8 cm. in diameter), the undisseminatedseedling bears semi-double (about 8 to 12 petals) flowers that aresignificantly smaller (about 3.2 to about 4.5 cm. in diameter). The newvariety has a bushy upright medium height growing habit (about 90 toabout 110 cm. in height); whereas the pollen parent has a bushy roundedsignificantly shorter growing habit.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The closest commercially available cultivar to the new variety is theseed parent ‘KORfalt’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATION

The accompanying photograph illustrates the new variety and shows theflowering thereof from bud to full bloom depicted in color as nearlycorrect as it is possible to make in a color illustration of thecharacter. Throughout this specification, color references and/or valuesare based upon the Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society(1966) except where common terms of color definition are employed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following description is of 3 to 4 year-old rose plants of the newvariety grown outdoors in Pomona, Calif. in the month of September.Phenotypic expression may vary with environmental, cultural and climaticconditions, as well as differences in conditions of light and soil.

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION

The new variety botanical designation is Rosa Hybrida WEKgojolo.

-   Flower: The new variety sometimes bears its flowers singly, usually    in clusters of three to five or more per stem. Flowers may be borne    in regular rounded clusters on strong short to medium length stems    (about 13 to about 38 cm.). Outdoors, the plant blooms abundantly    and nearly continuously during the growing season. The flowers have    a slight tea fragrance.-   Bud: The peduncle is about 2.6 to about 5.5 cm. in length, of    average caliper (about 0.2 to about 0.3 cm. in diameter), and    usually erect. It is moderately smooth, with some stipitate glands    and very few hairs. Peduncle color is between 146C and 144A. Before    the calyx breaks, the bud is about 1.0 to about 1.7 cm. in diameter    at the widest point, about 1.6 to about 2.6 cm. in length, and    pointed to somewhat ovoid in shape. The surface of the bud bears    some foliaceous appendages and stipitate glands, usually with    slender entire foliaceous parts extending beyond the tip of the bud    about ½ or more of its length. Bud color is between 137C and 143A    sometimes lightly suffused, especially on the side exposed to the    sun, with between 183B and 187B. The sepals are about 1.9 to about    3.6 cm. in length and about 0.6 to about 1.0 cm. in width at the    widest point. The outer surface color of the sepal is between 137C    and 143A sometimes lightly suffused, especially on the side exposed    to the sun, with between 183B and 187B. The inner surface color of    the sepal is near 138B broadly bordered by near 137B. After the    sepals open, the inner surface color is sometimes lightly suffused,    especially on the area exposed to the sun, with between 187A and    187B. The inner surface of the sepal is covered with fine wooly    tomentum; sepal margins are lined with many stipitate glands and    hairs. The receptacle of the flower is of medium length (about 0.4    to about 0.6 cm.) and somewhat heavy in caliper (about 0.6 to about    0.7 cm. in diameter). The receptacle is cup-shaped in form. Its    surface is very smooth with some hairs and with thick fleshy walls.    The receptacle color is between 146C and 143A. As the petals open    (after the calyx breaks), the bud is about 1.4 to about 1.9 cm. in    diameter at the widest point, about 2.1 to about 2.7 cm. in length,    and pointed to somewhat ovoid in form. The color of the under    surfaces of the newly opened petals is between 13B and 15C. There is    no visible change in coloration at the point where the petal    attaches. The color of the upper surfaces of the newly opened petals    is between 12A and 15C. There is no visible change in coloration at    the point where the petal attaches.-   Bloom: When fully open, the bloom ranges from about 5.7 to about    9.8 cm. in diameter. Petalage is double with about 18 to 26 petals    and about 3 to 7 petaloids irregularly arranged. When partially    open, the bloom form is moderately high centered to cupped, and the    petals are somewhat tightly spiraled with petal edges slightly    reflexed outward. When fully open, the bloom form is more cupped,    and the petals are loosely cupped with petal edges moderately    reflexed outward.-   Petals: The substance of the petals is moderately heavy and of    somewhat thin thickness, with upper surfaces moderately satiny and    under surfaces matte. The petals are about 2.2 to about 3.7 cm. in    length and about 1.3 to about 3.2 cm. in width at the widest point.    Petal margins are entire. The outer petals are nearly round to    somewhat obovate in shape with rounded apices. The inner petals are    moderately oblanceolate to somewhat obovate in shape with rounded    apices. Petaloids are about 0.7 to about 2.1 cm. in length and about    0.3 to about 1.3 cm. in width at the widest point. Petaloids are    irregularly shaped somewhat oblanceolate to subulate with rounded    apices.-   Newly opened flower: The under surface color of the outer,    intermediate and inner petals is between 12B and 13B. There is no    visible change in coloration at the point where the petal attaches.    The upper surface color of the outer, intermediate and inner petals    is between 8A and 12A. There is no visible change in coloration at    the point where the petal attaches. The under and upper surface    color of the petaloids are similar in coloration to the upper and    under surfaces of the intermediate and inner petals. The general    tonality of the newly opened flower is between 8A and 12A.-   Three-day-old flower: The under surface color of the outer,    intermediate and inner petals is between 12C and 13C. There is no    visible change in coloration at the point where the petal attaches.    The upper surface color of the outer, intermediate and inner petals    is between 8B and 12B. There is no visible change in coloration at    the point where the petal attaches. The under and upper surface    color of the petaloids are similar in coloration to the upper and    under surfaces of the intermediate and inner petals. The general    tonality of the three-day-old flower is between 8B and 12B. On the    spent bloom, the petals usually drop off cleanly. In September in    Pomona, Calif., blooms on the bush growing outdoors generally last    about four to five days. Cut roses from plants grown outdoors and    kept at normal indoor living temperatures generally last about four    to five days.-   Male reproductive organs: Stamens are many in number (average    about 180) and are arranged regularly about the pistils; a few are    mixed with petaloids. The filaments are of moderately short length    (about 0.3 to about 0.8 cm.) most with anthers. Filaments are    between 13A and 14B in color. The anthers are moderately small for    the class and all open approximately at the same time. Anther color    when immature is near 22A on the external part and near 10C on the    internal part. Anther color at maturity is near 199D on the external    part and near 200A on the internal part. Pollen is moderately sparse    and near 13D in color.-   Female reproductive organs: Pistils vary in number (average about    120). The styles are moderately even, average in length (about 0.4    to about 0.7 cm.), somewhat thin in caliper and loosely bunched.    Stigma color is between 154C and 1C. Style color is between 154C and    145A sometimes lightly suffused with near 53D. Ovaries are usually    all enclosed in the calyx. Hips have not been observed on this    variety when grown in Pomona, Calif.-   Foliage: The compound leaves are usually comprised of three to seven    leaflets and are borne abundantly. The five-leaflet leaves are about    6.5 to about 12.0 cm. in length and about 5.5 to about 10.8 cm. in    width at the widest point, moderately heavy to somewhat crisp in    texture, and glossy in finish on the upper side and matte in finish    on the under side. The terminal leaflets are about 3.3 to about    7.0 cm. in length and about 2.1 to about 4.7 cm. in width at the    widest point, shaped obovate with acute to somewhat acuminate apices    and rounded bases. Their margins are usually simply serrate. The    upper surface color of the mature leaf is between 147A and 137A. The    under surface color of the mature leaf is between 147B and 146B. The    upper surface color of the young leaf is between 144A and 143A,    sometimes lightly suffused mostly on the edge of the leaf with    between 183B and 187B. The under surface color of the young leaf is    between 146C and 143A, sometimes lightly suffused with between 183B    and 187B. The rachis is of average caliper and rough. The upper side    is shallowly grooved with some hairs and stipitate glands on the    edges of the grooves. The under side of the rachis is rough with    some stipitate glands and small prickles. The rachis color is near    146B on the under side and near 137A on the upper side. The stipules    are about 1.0 to about 1.9 cm. in length and somewhat wide in width    (about 0.4 to about 0.6 cm.) with medium length straight points that    usually turn out at an angle of more than 45 degrees. The stipule    color is between 137A and 137B. The petiole is of average caliper    and rough. The upper side is shallowly grooved with some hairs and    stipitate glands on the edges of the grooves. The under side of the    petiole is rough with some stipitate glands and small prickles. The    petiole is about 0.5 to about 1.5 cm. in length and about 0.1 to    about 0.2 cm in diameter at the widest point. The petiole color is    near 146B on the under side and near 137A on the upper side. The    plant displays an average degree of resistance to powdery mildew and    rust as compared to other commercial varieties grown under    comparable conditions in Pomona, Calif. The plant's winter hardiness    and drought/heat tolerance are yet to be determined.-   Growth: The plant has a bushy upright medium height growing habit    (about 90 to about 110 cm. in height and about 50 to about 58 cm.    spread at the widest point), with full branching. It displays    vigorous growth and the canes are of somewhat heavy caliper for the    class (about 1.2 to about 2.1 cm. in width at the widest point). The    color of the major stems is between 146A and 146B. They bear some    large prickles that are about 0.7 to about 1.0 cm. in length. The    large prickles are angled slightly downward with a moderately long    narrow oval base; prickle color is between 166D and 165B. The major    stem bears some small prickles of similar shape and coloration. The    color of the branches is between 146B and 137A. They bear few large    prickles which are of similar shape to the large prickles on the    major stems. Prickles are about 0.5 to about 0.7 cm. in length.    Prickle color is between 146C and 152B sometimes lightly suffused    with near 187D. The branches bear few small prickles of similar    shape and coloration. The color of the new shoots is between 146B    and 143A sometimes lightly suffused with between 183C and 187C. They    bear few large prickles which are of similar size and shape to the    large prickles on the branches; prickle color is between 146C and    152B sometimes lightly suffused with near 187D. The shoots bear few    small prickles of similar shape and coloration.

1. A new and distinct Floribunda rose plant of the variety substantiallyas described and illustrated herein.